CSX Co. (NASDAQ:CSX) Receives Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

CSX Co. (NASDAQ:CSX) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the eighteen brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $38.78.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on CSX shares. Barclays boosted their price target on CSX from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on CSX from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 17th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of CSX from $36.00 to $35.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Loop Capital decreased their price objective on shares of CSX from $43.00 to $42.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of CSX from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 12th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Interval Partners LP boosted its position in shares of CSX by 849.0% during the second quarter. Interval Partners LP now owns 5,118,751 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $171,222,000 after buying an additional 4,579,344 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its holdings in shares of CSX by 318.5% during the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 3,270,966 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $112,946,000 after acquiring an additional 2,489,329 shares during the last quarter. Wulff Hansen & CO. grew its stake in shares of CSX by 3,243.0% in the second quarter. Wulff Hansen & CO. now owns 2,192,246 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $73,331,000 after acquiring an additional 2,126,668 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in shares of CSX by 38.7% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,749,827 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $225,917,000 after purchasing an additional 1,884,998 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC lifted its position in CSX by 10.2% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 15,612,862 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $539,112,000 after purchasing an additional 1,447,651 shares during the period. 73.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CSX Stock Performance

Shares of CSX stock opened at $32.15 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $62.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.28, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.20. CSX has a fifty-two week low of $31.43 and a fifty-two week high of $40.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.39. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $34.32 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $34.05.

CSX (NASDAQ:CSX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 16th. The transportation company reported $0.46 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.48 by ($0.02). CSX had a net margin of 24.77% and a return on equity of 28.92%. The firm had revenue of $3.62 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.68 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.42 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that CSX will post 1.84 earnings per share for the current year.

CSX Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 29th were issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 29th. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.49%. CSX’s payout ratio is presently 25.81%.

About CSX

CSX Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides rail-based freight transportation services. The company offers rail services; and transportation of intermodal containers and trailers, as well as other transportation services, such as rail-to-truck transfers and bulk commodity operations. It also transports chemicals, agricultural and food products, minerals, automotive, forest products, fertilizers, and metals and equipment; and coal, coke, and iron ore to electricity-generating power plants, steel manufacturers, and industrial plants, as well as exports coal to deep-water port facilities.